Seventh Inning Stretch
by greypolkadots
Summary: Alex and Arizona one-shot. Set in the Sweet Sixteen 'verse. After he's ditched by his date for getting a woman pregnant, Alex turns to Arizona for company. The two enjoy an evening out and then they both enjoy an evening in bed. June 2015.


A/N: The most requested one-shot after _Tiny Pokes_. For those that have asked, I'm also in the middle of writing a requested mid-quel one-shot for _The Runaways_. It's actually done but I just don't think it lives up to the standard of the original. If and when I can get it there, that will be posted as well. Until then, you can expect more one-shots for the _Sweet Sixteen_ 'verse. Please enjoy and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: Grey's Anatomy and its characters are owned by ABC and not me.

**...**

Alex Karev wasn't used to being rejected. He knew he was good looking and he could be charming when he needed to be. He had known since he was fourteen and started high school that he could get most any girl that he wanted. As a freshman, his looks and bad boy attitude made him very popular with the upperclassmen. His popularity only got higher as he started working out, gained more muscle mass and joined the wrestling team. He was never without a date when he wanted one. If he didn't want to go home from a bar alone, he was always able to find someone willing to join him. That all changed when he got a woman pregnant.

Alex had been looking forward to this date all week. He was going out with one of the realtors he met while he was looking for a new place to live. She was smoking hot and from the little time he spent with her, he thought she had a great personality too. Alex had planned what he thought was a great date; he was going to take her out to the newest and trendiest restaurant in town and then he had two tickets for the night's Mariners versus Yankees game.

Alex thought that the date was going well. His date, Laura, seemed to be impressed that Alex was able to get reservations at the restaurant. When he told her that he saved the life of one of the owner's kids, he thought that she was going to take him into the bathroom and have her way with him right then and there. Alex couldn't remember the last time he had gone out on a date with a woman who was a total package like Laura was. Not only was she very attractive but she was also very intelligent and even very funny. However, as soon as the topic of children came up, the entire mood of dinner changed. Once Alex told Laura that he was expecting a daughter in three months time, Laura shut down. She didn't seem to care that Alex's daughter was the result of him helping out a friend and not a one night stand. Laura didn't care to hear his explanations about his baby. She simply didn't want to be involved with a guy who was going to have a baby. She was polite throughout the rest of the meal but the spark that had been there in the beginning was gone. She checked out and stopped trying for the rest of the meal. After the bill was paid, Laura made up an excuse to end their date early.

Alex sat in his car and took in what had just happened over dinner. He had been rejected. He knew that she didn't suddenly have an appointment to show an apartment. It was a Saturday night - not a prime time to sell real estate. He knew that he had just been dumped. But Alex wasn't the type of person to let a bad date get him down. He decided to make the most of the situation as he still had two tickets to see his beloved Mariners play - he just needed to find a new date for the evening.

**...**

"That is what you wear to a baseball game?" Alex asked as he hopped out of his SUV and walked around to the passenger side to open the door for his guest.

"Is this not good?" Arizona asked as she looked up and down her body, suddenly self-conscious. She thought she looked cute. Or at least as cute as she could at thirty weeks pregnant. When Alex called her a half hour earlier to see if she wanted to join him, she didn't have much time to come up with the perfect baseball game outfit. She ended up going with a pair of skinny jeans that still fit with the help of a belly-band and a flowy blouse.

Alex couldn't help but stare as he held out his hand to help her into the front seat of his SUV. Pregnancy suited Arizona. She wasn't one of those women that gained weight all over her body. All of Arizona's weight gain went straight to her abdomen in what was now looking like she had a small basketball stuffed under her shirt. To Alex and to everyone else she looked positively amazing. She was glowing. Even with knowing Arizona for over five years, he had never seen her look more beautiful.

"Alex," Arizona called to him to break him out of his daze of staring at her. Arizona just thought he was criticizing her outfit not admiring her beauty. He was only wearing jeans and a faded Mariner's t-shirt so she wasn't sure what he expected from her. "Is this not good? I can go change. I haven't been to a ball game in forever so I didn't know what was appropriate."

"No, you look great," Alex said as he closed her door and made his way back to the drivers' side of the vehicle.

Arizona looked at him curiously, "You sure?"

"Yeah," Alex nodded as he hopped in the car. "I mean, I have no clue how you are seven and a half months pregnant and still wearing heels like that but it looks good. Though you do need one more thing." Alex paused and reached into the backseat and rummaged through one of the bags, coming up with a Seattle Mariners baseball hat that matched the one that he was wearing. Alex leaned over the center console and put it on Arizona's head, bending the bill of the cap so that she could see better. "Now you're perfect."

"I can work this," Arizona smiled as she lifted the hat off of her head and proceeded to start pulling her hair into soft braids. By the time they arrived at Safeco Field, she had her hair braided into two perfect braids with the hat back on her head.

While the Mariners were typically not a very good team, this season they were surprising everyone. With only a few weeks before the all-star break, the Mariners were in second place in their division. Their improved record and the fact that they were playing one of the most popular and best teams in baseball led to a rare sold-out crowd for Safeco. Alex usually went to at least twenty games a season so he knew his way around the stadium but Arizona had never been and with the larger than usual crowds he wasn't about to let her out of his sight. He held onto her hand tightly as soon as they passed through the turnstiles and entered the stadium. He expertly guided them to their seats off the first base line with only making a few stops to stock up on essentials for the game.

"Wow," Arizona breathed out as she sat in her seat. She hadn't been to a baseball game since she was a kid and even then she was sitting in the nosebleed seats. The seats Alex had gotten them certainly weren't nosebleeds. They were only four rows off the field, right in between home plate and first base.

"You like?" Alex smirked as he watched Arizona take in the view. He knew he had good seats. They were meant to impress his date but impressing Arizona gave him just as good a feeling.

"Yeah," Arizona smiled as she watched the Mariners warm up. Even with the last minute change in plans they had still arrived well before game time and were able to watch the home team's batting practice. "These are awesome. Thanks for inviting me."

"No, thank you for coming," Alex said as he squeezed Arizona's hand. He hadn't even realized that he was still holding onto her. He gently let go of her hand after giving it another reassuring squeeze. "I didn't want to look like a loser and have to come alone."

"Right," Arizona rolled her eyes. Alex could never look like a loser. She was sure he had a phone full of numbers to call in emergencies like this. She hadn't thought much about it but she was curious as to why she got the last minute invite to the baseball game. "Who was supposed to be sitting in my seat?"

Alex cracked open a peanut from the bag that he had bought on the way to their seats, "I had a date. Laura. One of the realtors I used. But apparently she wasn't a huge fan of our arrangement."

"Our arrangement?" Arizona raised her eyebrows as she took the peanut that Alex offered her.

Alex nodded his head toward Arizona's pregnant belly, "When I told her that I was going to be a father in less than three months, she got all weird and made up an excuse to get out of the rest of our date. Apparently what we're doing isn't normal."

Arizona's smile turned into a frown. She felt bad for costing Alex a date. "Oh Alex, I'm sorry."

"Stop," Alex turned toward her and put his hand on her forearm to stop her from continuing to apologize. Arizona had nothing to apologize for. She didn't force him into this situation. She gave him the choice and he chose to be a father. He wanted to be a father. Alex then let his hand slip from her forearm to their daughter. "I don't want to date anyone that can't accept the fact that I have a daughter. My mom constantly brought men home that didn't like the idea of her having children and they had no problem letting Amber and I know that. I will never put our daughter through that."

"But still, I hate -," Arizona tried to apologize again.

"Arizona," Alex cut her off again as he continued to rub his hand over their daughter. He smiled when he felt her kick him. "You and our daughter are a package deal with me now. If anyone I date can't accept that, then I don't want to date them. Okay? It's a good thing to find out on the first date before there are real feelings involved. So don't apologize, _please_."

Arizona huffed but she decided to stop apologizing because Alex did make a good point and she felt the same way; any future love interests had to accept Alex and their daughter or else she wouldn't date them.

"Well, her loss is my gain," Arizona smiled and nudged Alex with her shoulder as she reached over to grab a handful of peanuts from his bag. "These seats are awesome."

"Yeah, they are," Alex playfully nudged her shoulder back. "What about you? Why aren't you dating?"

Arizona laughed out loud at that suggestion of her dating. Sometimes she wondered how Alex could be so smart yet so dumb at the same time.

"What?" Alex asked. He thought it was an honest question. Alex knew that Arizona was a catch and anyone would be lucky to have her in their life.

Arizona grabbed his hand and put it back on their baby, "This. I don't know many lesbians that want to date a knocked up woman."

"Oh," Alex's face fell. "Right. I can see that being a problem."

Arizona tossed a peanut into her mouth, "I haven't been on a date in like three years."

"Since Africa?"

Arizona thought for a moment, "I was just getting to the point of dating again after Africa, Callie and that whole mess when I got cancer. I had been out with one girl a few times but then I got the diagnosis and ended things with her. I wasn't about to put anyone through that after only a few dates."

Alex tried to look at the bright side, "Only a few more months and you won't be the knocked up lesbian anymore."

"No, then I'll just be the lesbian with a newborn. I'll have _oh so much_ free time for dating."

"And that is what I'm here for. I know we're still figuring out the ins and outs on the whole custody thing but you know that I will never turn down more time with her. So _when_ you want to date, she'll get some extra quality daddy time," Alex twisted the cap to his bottle of water off and took a sip before offering it to Arizona.

Arizona took a gulp of water before handing it back to him and resting her hand on his knee, "Thank you. I know that I have you. But honestly, I think that all I'm going to want to do when our daughter is doing her quality daddy time is sleep."

Alex laughed because he knew that was true. They both knew their days of sleeping in on their days off were about to end. Heck, even their days of sleeping more than a few hours in a row were going to be over at least for a little while.

"So you really haven't... in _three _years," Alex raised his eyebrows at Arizona. He knew that Arizona would know what he was talking about - sex.

Arizona grimaced at his words. It sounded so much worse when he said it out loud, "Nope."

"How?" Alex asked. He was flabbergasted. He had no idea how she could go that long without sex. There was no way that he could ever go three years without it. He would start going twitchy after three months let alone years.

Arizona just shrugged her shoulders and waved her fingers in front of her face, "I've gotten very good with these."

Alex laughed and wrapped his arm around Arizona's shoulder in a move of friendly support.

"Now how about you fill me in on who these guys are," Arizona gestured to the Mariners players who were stretching on the grass in front of her. "I don't want to look like an idiot while I watch the game."

Alex grinned and pulled out the program that he bought. He opened it to the player biographies and started pointing out which player was which and what position they played. Alex made sure to give his own opinions of the players - which ones were the best and which ones should be traded.

**...**

Alex was still engrossed in his baseball lesson with Arizona when more and more people started filtering down to their seats. It was almost start time so everyone that had been hanging out in the stadium's bars were now ready to take their seats and watch the game. The seats around Alex and Arizona slowly started to fill up when an older couple walked down the steps and stared at the two empty seats on the other side of Arizona. The older man gestured to the seats and Alex and Arizona stood to help the couple pass by.

"Oh my!" the older lady exclaimed when she saw Arizona's pregnant belly. "Look at you. When are you due?"

Arizona rubbed her stomach and answered with a smile, "Late August."

"So exciting," the woman said as she took her seat next to Arizona. "You two must be very excited. Is this your first?"

"It is," Arizona continued to answer the questions. She seemed like a sweet old lady so Arizona didn't mind. She was just grateful that the old lady hadn't asked to feel her belly. The one thing Arizona hated the most about pregnancy was anyone and everyone feeling like they could touch her stomach. In Arizona's opinion, the only person besides herself that was allowed to touch the baby was Alex.

The lady smiled and looked like she was remembering the birth of her own babies, "Such a precious time in a young couple's life."

Arizona started to interrupt and explain that she and Alex weren't together, "Oh we're not..."

But the old lady continued talking, ignoring her, "To bring a precious child into this world. It's such a blessing from God. Don't you think?"

Once Arizona heard the word God, she knew that this woman wasn't going to be understanding of their situation. She knew from her experience of being gay that the older the people were the less likely they were to have an open mind about alternative lifestyles and situations. And her situation with Alex was the very definition of alternative. Arizona made the decision to just play along with the woman and let her think what she wanted. They were going to have to sit next to her for the duration of the game and Arizona didn't want to ruin it for Alex.

To Arizona's surprise, Alex seemed to be on the same wavelength as her. He reached out and clasped her hand in his, "It really is a blessing isn't it, _dear_?"

Arizona put on a wide smile and glanced at Alex, fully intending to play along with his game, "The best."

The older woman continued to make small talk with Arizona while they waited for the game to start, all the while Alex kept a tight hold on Arizona's hand that rested on his knee. Arizona was grateful when the first pitch was thrown and she had an excuse to ignore the woman's continued gabbing about children and child raising tips.

The game started out slow. Both teams had mediocre pitchers on the mound that night and great batters so the innings were long as the runs started to add up on both sides. Arizona wasn't the slightest bit interested in the game but she didn't let that show. She wanted Alex to have a good time and he complaining about boredom wasn't going to help. She did her best to pretend that she was into the game. She cheered when the crowd cheered and booed when they booed. But by the middle of the fourth inning she needed a break. The hard surface of the wooden seat was starting to hurt her back and the rumbling from her stomach reminded her that she hadn't eaten anything more than just the peanuts Alex had bought earlier.

Arizona squeezed the knee that her hand had been resting on. They were still keeping up appearances for the old couple next to them. "Hey, I'm going to go get a snack. You want anything?"

Alex tore his gaze from the field where the Mariners were batting, "You okay?"

Arizona just laughed to herself. Alex hadn't heard a word she had said. "Your baby is hungry so I'm going to go find something to eat. Do you want anything?"

Alex reached his hand out to caress Arizona's stomach, "I'll go."

"No. You're into the game and I could use a stretch anyway."

"Okay. The garlic fries are really good here. It's what they're known for. If you could get me some that'd be great," Alex asked sheepishly. He hated that she wouldn't let him help her. She was pregnant and he liked taking care of her but he knew better than to push it. When she said she wanted to do something, he needed to let her do it.

Arizona stood up and grabbed her purse. "Of course, _dear_," she said as she leaned down and planted a kiss on his cheek, to keep up the ruse they were doing for their seatmates.

**...**

Alex was right and the garlic fries were to die for. Between the two of them, the large order of fries didn't stand a chance. After a rejuvenating walk and snack, Arizona actually found herself getting into the last half of the ball game. But that didn't last long and by the end of the game, she was starting to fade. The further along she got in the pregnancy, the earlier her bed time became. And with the game having a seven o'clock start time and the extra long innings, it was almost ten when the ninth inning was starting. Alex offered to leave early but Arizona wouldn't have any of it. He was having too good of a time watching the game. She only saw him smile that much during the ultrasounds for their baby. Instead, she settled for resting her head on his shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her to help ward off the early summer chill in the air.

Arizona was in a light slumber when she felt the weight of the arm around her go away. She looked up with sleepy eyes and saw that Alex was standing up and gathering their things to go.

"You better get your wife home to bed," the older man told him as they stood up to leave the game. "I don't think she saw the last inning at all."

Alex smiled down at Arizona who was waking up slowly, "I intend to."

Alex watched as the older couple walked off before leaning down and picking up Arizona's purse. "Ready to go, _dear_?"

"Yeah," Arizona yawned as she slowly stood up.

Alex wrapped his arm around her waist to give her more support as he walked her out toward his car. He was mentally kicking himself for not forcing her to leave the game early. He should have known better than to keep her out that late. She was in her third trimester, she needed all the sleep that she could get.

**...**

Arizona had fallen asleep again on the drive home. She barely woke up when Alex parked the car in front of her building and guided her into the elevator to reach her condo. Alex bypassed the living room and took Arizona straight to the bedroom and she instantly curled up into the bed.

"Do you want to change or are you okay in this?" Alex asked as he gently removed Arizona's heels. Holding them in his hands he couldn't believe that she was thirty weeks pregnant and still wearing something that looked like it had a toothpick for support.

"I'll change," Arizona murmured. "Can you get me some water?"

Alex gratefully went to get her some water. He didn't know the protocol for helping her to change. He wasn't sure if he should leave or stay or turn his head so he was grateful for the excuse to leave. He took his time in getting the water and when he returned Arizona had changed into an old Marines t-shirt and was already almost back to dreamland in bed.

Alex gently placed the water on her bedside table and went to turn out the light. Arizona's hand caught him around the wrist before he could turn it off.

"Stay," she said quietly. "Stay and read to us. I normally listen to your recording every night so she can hear her daddy's voice. But since you're here you can do it in person."

"I don't even have a book," Alex said, trying to get out of it. He felt self-conscious talking to Arizona's stomach. It was his daughter but it still felt weird. He made the recording solely for the purpose of Arizona playing it but it still felt weird knowing that she actually listened to it.

"In the nursery there are a lot of books. Please, Alex. She needs to know your voice too."

Alex reluctantly nodded and went to find a book. He returned with one that he remembered being read to him as a young child, _Goodnight Moon_.

Alex climbed into bed next to Arizona who had rolled onto her side facing him and was already on her way back to sleep. Her eyes peeked opened when he got into bed but they quickly shut again. Alex scooted down so that he was resting on his side, propped up by an elbow, right next to Arizona's bump. He picked up the book and started reading, "In the great green room there was a telephone. And a red balloon. And a picture of a cow jumping over the moon..."

_Goodnight Moon _was a short book and even after reading it twice only five minutes had passed. Five minutes was long enough for Arizona to fall asleep. The deep breaths of sleep causing her chest to rise and fall in rhythm.

"Hey baby," Alex whispered. He wasn't ready to leave his daughter just yet and wanted to take advantage of the opportunity to talk to her without Arizona listening. "It's your daddy." Alex gently reached out to connect with his child by placing his hand on the bump. Alex glanced up at Arizona to make sure she was still sleeping. She was still breathing in and out without interruption.

"I love you so much, baby. You know, we really need to decide on a name so that I can stop calling you baby. But it's hard to pick on a name. You're going to be stuck with it forever and we don't want you to hate it. But I'll talk to Mama this week and we'll start to get it narrowed down." Alex sighed and leaned forward to place the most gentlest kiss on Arizona's t-shirt covered stomach that he could. It was the first time he had ever kissed his daughter by way of kissing her mother. "I can't wait to meet you. But that doesn't mean you need to come out early. Your mama is taking good care of you so you stay in there so that you're big and strong when you're born. Mama and I took you to your first baseball game today. The Mariners won. I think it was because you were there. We'll have to go to a game when you get here. There will still be a month left of the season. Maybe more if they make the playoffs. Mama might not like it because you'll be so small but when she sees you in the little pink Mariners onesie I have for you she won't be able to say no to us and we'll even get her a ticket too."

Alex felt Arizona start to shift so he paused for a moment, hoping that she stayed asleep. He took the time to figure out what else he wanted to tell his daughter. He didn't know when he'd have another opportunity to talk to her like this before she was born and there was so much he wanted to tell her. After Arizona stayed still for another minute he continued, "You know when you're older, you're probably going to get teased a lot because of me and your mama. Because we're a different kind of family. But families come in all different shapes and sizes. And I love you and your mama so very much. Never forget that. You two are the only family I really have. And your mama loves you so much too. She's loved you and wanted you for a long time. Not that long ago, your mama was very, very sick. I think it was the thought of you that kept her fighting. She knew that you were out there and that you needed her so she fought so that she could meet you someday. We really lucked out that we get to have her in our life, baby."

Arizona shifted again. This time she moved from her side and rolled onto her back. Alex decided it was time to wrap things up before Arizona woke up and wondered why he was still in her bed like a creeper. "Time to go to sleep now, baby. I'll see you tomorrow. You be good for Mama, okay? Don't kick her too hard and let her get some rest. I love you."

Alex leaned over and placed one last kiss on Arizona's stomach before sitting up and placing a kiss on Arizona's cheek as well. He turned off the bedside lamp and made his way out of the bedroom. As soon as Arizona heard the door to her condo close she finally opened her eyes. She woke up needing to use the bathroom just as Alex finished reading _Goodnight Moon_ but once she heard Alex talking to their daughter she knew she needed to continue to pretend to be sleeping. She knew that Alex needed to bond with their daughter by talking to her just as much as their baby needed to hear it. As she listened to him talk it took more effort to stop her eyes from tearing up than it did to stay still. Her efforts to not cry are what caused her to shift in bed. Luckily she was able to play it off like she was just moving in her sleep. Listening to Alex talk to their daughter only cemented her feelings about him as a father. While Alex could be abrasive and a jerk to most people, no one could deny that he was going to be a great father.

Alex made the half hour drive home in silence listening only to the thoughts in his head. He started the day planning on having a great date with a hot woman and hopefully getting laid at the end of it. Instead, he had half of a crappy date with one woman who couldn't accept him for who he was, and then he had a great evening with the one woman who had always seen the best in him. Getting to spend the night with Arizona and their daughter, getting to talk to and bond with their daughter was way better than what he had planned for his day.

**...**


End file.
